


an energized soul

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: nothing half so pleasant [6]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Gen, Post-Episode: s09e17 E'ao lu'au a kualima
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 05:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17892011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: Post s09e17. Sure, McGarrett was the one who used to give her the pep talks in moments such as this, and he was definitely better at them, but she couldn't exactly leave the kid to sit there alone in his silence, now could she?





	an energized soul

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE the idea of this friendship. That is all. Oh, and the title is a play on this quote from Shanna Rodriguez: "The great thing about new friends is that they bring new energy to your soul."

Kono didn’t know much about Junior Reigns. All she’d really ever gotten out of Steve was that the kid was a good soldier, a good cop, and a good friend. That’d been enough for her, so she hadn’t really pressed. As she stood there, outside his office door, and watched him stare down at his hands, she began to regret not bugging her friend for more information.

She was at HQ because she was supposed to be getting drinks with Steve, Danny, and Lou. Possibly Tani, if the younger woman was able to make it after dinner with her brother. She wasn’t expecting the other former SEAL on the team to be in so late, especially after the day he’d had. And she really, really didn’t know him well enough to be doling out advice that probably wouldn’t help him in his current situation. After all, she’d never personally shot the father of a dear friend’s infant child. That was something only he had experienced.

Still, she’d grown up with siblings. She had a brother, one she’d walk through fire for without question. She didn’t have it in her to just walk away from someone so young and obviously in pain. So, against her own personal better judgement, she pushed the glass door open instead of running the other way.

Junior glanced up the very moment she walked into the office, clearing his throat as his eyes met hers. “Sergeant Kalakaua. Sorry, I didn’t see you come in. Is there something you need?”

“No,” she assured him, making her way further into the room. “I just saw you from outside. I was waiting for McGarrett to get back, and…” She trailed off. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he promised unconvincingly. “Yeah, I was just wrapping up some paperwork, figured I’d stay late instead of coming in early.”

Kono nodded once, unconvinced. “I heard about what happened with your friend. That sucks. I’m really sorry.”

Junior shrugged halfheartedly. “You know, it’s like Tani and McGarrett said. Tory was going for the gun to shoot himself when I pulled the trigger. Either way, he was leaving in a body bag.”

“That’s probably true,” Kono agreed without hesitation. “But, from what McGarrett tells me about this girl, you really care about her. So, if you want, don’t see it as me apologizing for what you did to Tory. I’m sorry for what you ended up having to do to the girl you loved, Reigns.”

Junior glanced away with a slight shake of his head. “Thanks for that,” he managed after a few moments. “I’m not trying to be rude, Sergeant Kalakaua. I swear I’m not. But we don’t know each other that well. You’re friends with McGarrett. Why does it matter so much to you that I don’t feel guilty?”

“That’s a fair question,” Kono acquiesced after a few seconds. “Adam didn’t just have a younger sister. He also had a younger brother. He ever tell you that?” She nodded when Junior simply shook his head. “Yeah. He doesn’t like to talk about it much. Michael died almost six years ago. Adam was the one who shot him. Michael came after me with a gun, and Adam, well, he made a choice.”

“He’s never mentioned it,” Junior informed her after a few moments.

“Yeah. Like I said, he doesn’t like to talk about it. The thing about that situation is that it was crappy all around. Michael wasn’t going to stop until I was dead. He’d already framed me for murder at that point, and if not for Steve, Danny, my cousin, and a few other friends working their asses off, I would’ve gone away for it.”

“So, what, Adam killed his brother to protect you?” Junior asked, his eyes full of that same pain she’d seen in Adam’s, in Steve’s, in Danny’s, in her own in the mirror. It was a pain no amount of closed cases or rescued victims could completely erase from their gaze.

“No. Michael was shot when Adam tried to wrestle the gun away from him. Adam wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, Junior. He was just trying to end it. He wanted it to stop, the same way you did. But sometimes, it doesn’t matter what you do. Sometimes, someone you care about ends up hurt, and you get to be the one to walk away. You _have_ to be the one to walk away. You have no choice.” Kono sighed quietly. “You were trying to protect him from himself. And you did. In the end, he wasn’t the one to pull the trigger. You gave Laila someone to blame – someone alive – and that’ll be enough for you. For now. You won’t need anything else. Because she can’t blame you more than you blame yourself, right?”

Junior stared at her for a few moments. “Does McGarrett teach classes on how to give pep talks?”

“Yeah. Every Saturday at HPD. Nine o’clock. He supplies malasadas,” Kono replied drily. “Sorry, kid, but I came up with this one on my own. You’ll be getting a whole separate one from McGarrett later, so gear up for it.  It’ll be much more like a lecture.”

“You’re one of the bosses,” Junior reminded her. “Why isn’t this turning into a lecture?”

“Because you’re my friend. A new friend, sure, but…” Kono shrugged. “McGarrett taught me how to be a leader. This is what he did when he was teaching me. It’s how he treated all of us. Now, you’re going to get a lecture from him, so you get the pep talk from me. In the time between the two, you should come with us.”

“Where?” Junior asked after a moment.

“Bar. Don’t know which one. Don’t particularly care. You can hit on pretty girls, or stare at the table all night. I don’t really care what you do. You will need to bring Steve into things if you need a wingman, though, because I am no good at it. Also, Tani’s coming, and you just can’t let your partner drink alone. It’s a rule.” Kono glanced over her shoulder when she heard the door close behind the aforementioned woman, shooting her a smile that was met with a relieved expression.

“Okay,” Junior agreed hesitantly, pushing away from his desk. Kono was already turning for the door again when he spoke again. “Sergeant Kalakaua? I get why McGarrett considers you a friend now.”

Kono simply smiled. “Yeah. You too.”


End file.
